Month: April 2015

Over this past weekend one third-grade boy stayed in a hotel and was super excited to share there was a hot tub, but it had problems!Third-grade boy: “Mrs Kinney! I got to stay in a hotel with a hot tub!! But it wasn’t working that good.” Me: “What was wrong?” Boy: “Well the heat part was broken so it was, well, a COLD hot tub!! But it was still fun with the bubbles.”Follow Christy on Twitter @ChristyKinney13 or email her at crazykidquotes@gmail.com

If this is your first time seeing the Weekly Leader, scroll down and read all about it below the line. Then pop back up to the top for next week’s suggestions. Weekly Leader for the second week in April. Mastermind Monday Have everyone in the family brainstorm ideas for a business for each member […]

Famous Friday

Book Club Saturday

What was the climax of the story (the highest or most intense moment)?

How did the story resolve, and what is your opinion of the resolution?

Did the main character achieve his/her goal?

How was the main character changed as a result of the events?

Journaling Sunday

This week, engage all of your senses. Write down what you hear, see, smell, taste and feel in great detail.

What Is Weekly Leader?

The Weekly Leader is a practical plan that you can do with the whole family to help raise leaders. Now, if you’re tempted to think, “My kid is not a leader — he won’t be a CEO or a politician,” we want to help shift your mindset. Every kid can be a leader. According to Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders, a leader is someone who solves problems and serves people. And isn’t that we all want for our kids?

To help families cultivate the kind of people who can solve problems and serve people (leaders), we are offering you a practical activity for everyday of the week.

Each Friday we will send you a list of ideas for the upcoming week. Below, we’ll give you a brief description of what to expect each day.

Don’t exclude little people. Even the youngest kids can gain something from sitting in on these activities and conversations. They may not contribute now, but you will be setting the stage for them to make big contributions in the future.

Mastermind Monday

On Mondays, we will suggest an activity or a conversation topic that will help build entrepreneurial skills. Entrepreneurs are typically great problem solvers. So even your child isn’t on the path to become the next Steve Jobs, he can benefit from these activities.

TED Talk Tuesday

We are huge fans of TED Talks! In case you have been deep in the mission field on a remote island off the coast of Tanzania and have not heard about TED Talks, here’s a description from their website:

“TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.”

On Tuesdays, we will offer a link to a good TED Talk.

What’s Up Wednesday

This is our current events day. Each Wednesday, we’ll suggest a current events topic that you can research as a family. Do a Google search; talk about how to discern a good news source from an unreliable one, and then talk about what’s happening in the world.

Think Tank Thursday

On Thursdays we will offer a discussion topic — maybe a thought provoking question or a scenario or an idea for you talk about as a family.

Famous Friday

Friday is a day to focus on a noteworthy person. Pull up a video on Netflix or YouTube or read the Wikipedia article about the person. Maybe head over to the library and find a book about the person with pictures. Look for examples of how they overcame hardship or how they showed great courage or charity or creativity.

Book Club Saturday

C. S. Lewis said, “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”
Each month we will suggest a book that the family can read on their own. On Saturdays, you can come together for a family book club to talk about the book. We will offer some general things to talk about, in case you need help jump-starting the conversation.

Sometimes we will do fiction and other times we will do non-fiction, but the idea is open everyone’s mind and begin to think and talk critically.

Journaling Sunday

If you hang out with us for more than five minutes, you’re bound to figure out that we are HUGE proponents of journaling! But the thing we hear most often is that some people just are not sure what to write about.

Sunday is a great day for rest and reflection. So each week, we will offer a journal prompt.

Jenni and Jody are two moms with nine kids between them (ages 2 to 26). Together they host a weekly parenting radio show, write parenting articles and columns, coach individual families, teach workshops and seminars and speak at conventions and conferences. They are passionate about empowering and equipping parenting on purpose with an emphasis on strong family relationships (loving), raising teachable kids (training), and pointing kids toward their passion and purpose (releasing).

One third-grade girl told Christy Kinney about her unique remedy for allergies …

Elementary students CAN be problem solvers, however on occasion their ideas may not be ideal …Third grade girl: “I have allergies really bad right now Mrs. Kinney. It’s pollen and I know JUST how to fix it so I don’t keep breathing that stuff.” Me: “Oh?” Girl: “Yeah, I can stuff marbles up my nose to block it and the pollen won’t get in and I can just breathe out of my mouth. Then when the pollen is gone I just blow ’em out.” (I had no words of wisdom due to laughing TOO hard other than “Please don’t stick marbles up your nose!”)Follow Christy on Twitter @ChristyKinney13 or email her at crazykidquotes@gmail.com

It’s “You Can Do It Wednesday,” and today we are focusing on early elementary aged kids, but this tip is actually great for the whole family. An important part of child development, especially in the elementary years, involves learning new concepts. Through discussion of the story, young listeners begin to understand plot concepts. The inflection […]

It’s “You Can Do It Wednesday,” and today we are focusing on early elementary aged kids, but this tip is actually great for the whole family.

An important part of child development, especially in the elementary years, involves learning new concepts. Through discussion of the story, young listeners begin to understand plot concepts. The inflection in the reader’s voice and emphasis on certain words and phrases helps clarify meaning in ways they could miss just reading on their own.

A friend of ours who teaches middle school English noticed that a large percentage of her students were not yet able to have a vicarious reading experience. In other words, they were not able to see that “movie in their mind” that most of us get when we read. This can make reading a difficult and boring task.

But we have found that daily out loud reading from a young age can help kids develop that skill earlier.

Got a wiggly kid who struggles to sit through a chapter book as you read? Grab some blank paper and colorful markers, and let them draw while they listen. When their right brain is occupied with drawing, their left brain is free to listen.

Don’t worry if they are not following along at first. Just stop often and talk about what is happening. It takes time to be able to listen and comprehend. So be willing to catch them up and offer frequent little plot developments. In time, they will be on the edge of their seat, waiting to hear what will happen next.

Out loud reading is not just helpful for your young elementary student, it’s good for you too! Research has shown that reading aloud is chock full of benefits for the young and old. Want to birth new brain cells? There are a variety of ways to do that, such as learning a new language and learning to play an instrument. Reading aloud is another way to stimulate brain cell production.

There are many other things that out loud reading does to benefit our brains. Here are a few of the big ones:

Helps gain greater comprehension

Sharpens focus

Increases vocabulary

Challenges use of intonation

Improves listening and reading skills

Got any kids who struggle with dyslexia? Out loud reading can help! Here’s an article that explains why.

So, grab a cup of tea, gather your kiddos of all ages (and especially those early elementary kids) and enjoy some family reading time. In the process, you are birthing brain cells and your bambinos are reaping some great benefits of their own.

A great book to check out on this topic is the Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease, also known to some as the “Read Aloud Bible.” It’s full of great tips and information. Happy Reading!

Jenni and Jody are two moms with nine kids between them (ages 2 to 26). Together they host a weekly parenting radio show, write parenting articles and columns, coach individual families, teach workshops and seminars and speak at conventions and conferences. They are passionate about empowering and equipping parenting on purpose with an emphasis on strong family relationships (loving), raising teachable kids (training), and pointing kids toward their passion and purpose (releasing).

A third-grade boy recently told Christy Kinney about a trick he played on his brother …

Ahhh, sibling arguments, rivalry and tricks …Third-grade boy: “Hey Mrs. Kinney! I always trick my brother. Wanna know how?” Me: “Sure.” Boy (laughing): I always tell him ‘I will give you 25 dollars if you do this.’ When he does it and he asks for the money? I tell him ‘I said DOLL HAIRS, not dollars!”Follow Christy on Twitter @ChristyKinney13 or email her at crazykidquotes@gmail.com